I was a last minute inclusion in the
series so I didn’t get to choose my state. My name was put forward by Western
romance author and friend, Susan Horsnell. On the basis that I am
multi-published, and have won an award or two in Historical Romantic fiction,
and have also participated in two Western Anthologies, I was fortunate to be
accepted for this unique endeavour (The
American Mail Order Brides Series, 50 books from 45 authors. Starting on
November 19, there will one book published per day through to January 7, 2016.
Each story is 35K - 40K in length and priced at $2.99.)

Blurb:

Joshua was a happy
bachelor until his scheming sister lands him with a Mail Order Bride. Desperate
to Escape Boston, Edwina accepts the marriage proposal she believes has come
from him. Can a deceived bride, and a reluctant groom, find happiness together?

Excerpt:

“You did what?” Joshua Sinclair glared at his
sister.

“I pretended I was you and advertised for
a Mail Order Bride in the Grooms’
Gazette.” Amy faced him, defiant. “You’ve been on your own too long. Hasn’t
he, Tom?”

“Don’t bring me into this.” Tom grinned at
his wife.

“Damn it woman. You had no right.” Josh
thrust his fingers through his hair, causing the curls to become even more
riotous than normal. “You can damn well have that ridiculous advertisement
removed.”

“Edwina! Matrimony is not on my agenda.
Even if it was, I wouldn’t be marrying some desperate spinster who has been
left on the shelf.”

“She’s from Boston.”

“Boston!” A dagger thrust of pain pierced
his heart. Three years and Maryanne’s betrayal still hurt. He would never trust
another woman.

* * *

Giveaway!

Margaret is
giving away a FREE copy of Edwina - Bride of Connecticut. To enter, please leave a comment
below telling us why you are looking forward to reading Edwina's story and
your email so we may contact you in the event that you win. Good Luck!

BIO:

Margaret Tanner is
an Award Winning Historical Romance Author who has now added Western Historical
Romance to her writing repertoire.

She lives in Australia, is married and has
three grown up sons.

With the encouragement of friend and
Western Romance author, Susan Horsnell, she has fallen in love with writing
Western Historical Romance of the sweet variety. Frontier Australia and frontier America, have
many similarities, isolated communities, a large single male population and a
lack of eligible women, so it wasn’t hard to write in the Western genre.

She has always loved Westerns, soaking up
all the Western TV shows and movies when she was young. Bonanza was her
all-time favourite show. Little Joe Cartwright was her hero. Western Author,
Zane Grey was her favourite author at that time.

Margaret has a short story published in
the Western Romance Anthology, Rawhide ‘N Roses which was a 2015 Rone Finalist.

She has a novella, Christmas Cowboy,
published in the Silver Belles and Stetsons Christmas Anthology. Margaret has just finished writing her
second Western Romance novella.

When I was first asked to participate in this endeavor, I
wanted to choose the state of Wyoming. As my readers know, most of my stories
take place in Wyoming. However, Wyoming
had already been snapped up. Honestly, now, I couldn’t be happier that I was
pushed out of the box and into Maine. I
had such fun visiting Maine again, if only in my imagination. If I had gotten
Wyoming there wouldn’t be Gillian and Rhys and I would hate to see a world
where their story didn’t exist. For those who’ve started my Navy SEAL series
with the book THE AIR I BREATHE, you’ll recognize the name Chermont. Gillian
and Rhys are the great-great grandparents of Caleb “Frenchy” Chermont, and I
enjoyed getting to know his family a bit better.

I have been a lighthouse enthusiast for many years and fell
in love with Maine and Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse when I visited. Here’s a
little history of the lighthouse. Congress appropriated $5,000 for the
construction of the Bass Harbor Head Light after it was determined that
“sufficient need” existed to have a lighthouse near the entrance to Bass
Harbor. This was followed by the addition of a fog bell and tower in 1876. This bell was replaced by a substantially
larger 4,000 pound bell in 1898 when it was installed within the tower. The
original lens was a Fifth Order Fresnel, but was replace by a Fourth Order
Fresnel in 1901. Originally, there was no easy access via a boat landing until
one was added in 1894. During the 1970s, the Coast Guard took over the
lighthouse. On January 21, 1988, the lighthouse was added to the National
Register of Historic Places, under the title of Bass Harbor Head Light Station.

This whole experience has been one of the best in my writing
career. I got to explore the rocky coast of Maine again. We were encouraged to form correspondence groups
linking our stories together. I was blessed with an amazing group including:
Merry Farmer, Peggy Henderson, and Margery Scott. Our heroines roomed together
after the infamous fire and continue to write each other throughout our
individual stories.

I will be forever grateful to Kirsten Osbourne for sending
me that invitation to join, and to the author who already chose Wyoming,
leaving me to meet Rhys and Gillian in a small lighthouse in Maine.

Blurb:

Gillian Darrow travels to Maine with hopes of a bright
future with her lighthouse keeper, Rhys Chermont. The problem…Rhys never placed an
advertisement for a wife, or wrote to Gillian. Two hearts longing for a light
in life's storms. Together they'll find a safe harbor in love.

EXCERPT:

She smiled at the priest but lifted her gaze to meet
Rhys’, and her smile grew until, like a sailor to a mermaid’s song, he was
drawn to her side. “I see Ida managed to get you warm.”

“Yes, thank you. I’m ready now, if you are."

Rhys lifted an eyebrow in question. “Ready for what?”

Her eyebrow mirrored his. “Why, to get married.”

Rhys laughed. Nothing was funny about her words, but
the thought of him ever marrying again was so ludicrous, laughter was the only
response that made sense. That was until he saw those dark eyes fill with
unshed tears, which then escaped and cascaded down her cheeks.

* * *

Gillian - Bride of Maine released December 11th and is available on Amazon now.

BIO:

Kirsten Lynn is a Western and Military Historian. She worked
six years with a Navy non-profit and continues to contract with the Marine
Corps History Division for certain projects. Making her home where her roots
were sewn in Wyoming, Kirsten also works as a local historian. She loves to use
the history she has learned and add it to a great love story. She writes
stories about men of uncommon valor...women with undaunted courage...love of
unwavering devotion ...and romance with unending sizzle. When she's not
writing, she finds inspiration in day trips through the Bighorn Mountains,
binge reading and watching sappy old movies, or sappy new movies. Housework can
always wait.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

I hope you are enjoying this journey through the United States. This week we stop in Ohio where author, Debra Parmley introduces us to Isabella. If you need to read the Prequel for the American Mail-Order Bride series, you can go HERE

Here's how Isabella's story came about:

I am excited to be a part of the American Bride series,
which is unique and the first of its kind. Kirsten invited me to join the group
and I told her I could as long as I could have the state of Ohio so I could pay
tribute to the state I was born and raised in. She said yes, so I was in. My
book, which is # 17, is set in Ohio, in Yellow Springs, which is just fifteen
minutes from my parent’s house. I chose the name Isabella to honor my
grandmother.

For my cover I asked my cover artist Sheri McGathy who has
done most of the covers for Belo Dia to use a background of cornfields for Ohio
is the sweet corn capitol of the U.S. I asked her to include a cardinal which
is the state bird and on the back cover you will find buckeyes if you look
close. Ohio is the buckeye state. For my heroine she found a picture of Jax
Turnya that I liked and I asked her to put her in Swedish braids.

While the American Brides project was forming I formed a
writing partnership with Robert Arrow. Robert is a long time friend who taught
me primitive archery years ago and later became my fight choreographer for my
stories. He has training as an MP in the military, in martial arts, and is a
gun instructor. He brings more action and adventure to my stories. Isabella,
Bride of Ohio is more than a mail order bride story in that it combines the
damsel in distress theme. There are three main characters. Isabella, Donald her
fiancé and Tom, a Pinkerton agent. As my grandmother would say, trouble comes
in threes. What three troubles will Isabella have and will she have the happy
ever after she dreamed of?

Isabella, newly arrived in America from Sweden, loses her
parents and then her job at the factory after it burns down. Nothing in
American seems to last but she hopes her mail order bride marriage to the
handsome and wealthy Donald Jenks will. But as her grandmother always said,
trouble comes in threes and there are dangers standing between her and her
happy ever after with her true love.

Isabella is part of the American Mail Order Brides series
and Robert and I are planning connected books to follow the descendants of
Isabella and Thomas.

Blurb:

Isabella,
newly arrived in America from Sweden, loses her parents and her job at the
factory. Nothing in American seems to last but she hopes her mail order bride
marriage will. But as her grandmother always said, trouble comes in threes and
danger stands between her and happy ever after.

Excerpt:

“…that silence you are
putting off. It’s very off putting, you know. I wouldn’t advise you use that on
your new husband.”

"Well goodness, it is meant
to be off putting. Though it does not seem to be working with you"

“How I behave around him
is none of your business.” She spoke quiet and low so as not to make a
spectacle in front of the other diners. “I do not know you sir, and have no
wish to.” So saying, she stood and walked away from the table.

Ernest Tomlin watched the
quiet blonde leave.

She would
be perfect. The boss would love to get his hands on merchandise like her. Being
European meant she had that sexy accent people would pay extra for and there
wasn’t any family to miss her. Yeah. She could disappear nice and easy

* * *

Debra Parmley
loves spreading love, one story at a time. Fascinated by fairy tales and
folktales ever since she was a young girl, she has always ended her stories
with a happy ever after.

Debra enjoys
writing, reading, playing at being a medieval lady in the SCA (Society for
Creative Anachronism) and world travel. Her work as a travel consultant gave
her the opportunity to visit many countries and her luggage often carried him
folk tales from the countries she has visited.

Her three
favorite things are dark chocolate, visiting the beach and ocean, and hearing
from her readers. Each card, letter and email is a treasured gift, like finding
that perfect shell upon the beach.

Debra has
interviewed many cover models for Cover Model Corner and her interviews are
often picked up by Affair du Coeur magazine.

For more about
her work as well as interviews with cover models in Cover Model Corner, visit
Debra’s website and sign up for her newsletter to be eligible for insider news
and contests.

When I was first approached to take part in the American Mail
Order Bride Series, my first reaction – which lasted about 5 seconds – was that
my writing schedule was full. How could I possibly squeeze in another book, and
especially a book unlike any I’d written before? I’ve never written a mail
order bride story. Well, maybe that’s not quite true. I’ve written a mail-order
bride book, but it was a time travel story about a woman who comes to the past
to be the unknowing mail order bride to a 1870’s rancher.

My next reaction was that this was an opportunity too good to
pass up. The line-up of authors was amazing, and I was elated to get an
invitation. My first and second choice
in states were already taken, but another state that I knew I could do justice
was still available,

I chose Kentucky because I used to be a huge horse racing fan. I
don’t follow the sport much anymore, but horses are my passion, and what a
great place to set a romance than the backdrop of Kentucky’s Bluegrass Country
among beautiful horses. I really didn’t know what I was going to do with this
particular story, other than it was set in Kentucky, and would include horse
racing and a horse farm.

When I got my cover for the book, the story instantly came to
me. The heroine on my cover looks like an upper class lady, and a little
haughty, and that’s when I knew who my heroine was going to be, her character
arc, and who her perfect hero was.

The most challenging part in writing my story was time
management.

A lot of things got in the way of the schedule I set for myself
to get the book finished, and lots of lost sleep, but in the end it will be
worth it. I loved collaborating with the entire group and also with the
subgroup several authors and I formed to connect our stories somewhat through
our heroines.

Blurb:

Emma
Waterston is determined, headstrong, and comes from a lifestyle where class
structure determines one’s associations. Left destitute after the death of her
mother, she takes a job at a textile factory. When a fire destroys her place of
employment, leaving her penniless again, she makes a desperate decision and
answers an ad for a mail order bride from a wealthy Kentucky horse breeder.

Sam Hawley
is content with his life as a horse trainer on an affluent Kentucky estate. His
primary focus has always been on the horses. He views their owners as rich
people with nothing to do but flaunt their money. Loyalty to his mentor is the
only thing that keeps him rooted to one place. When he meets the bride-to-be of
the man he detests the most, his life is about to change.

Too late,
Emma discovers the ad she answered was too good to be true. Her future husband
is not what she was led to believe and a horrific experience leaves her no
choice but to face the kind of life she’s been trying to escape. Kentucky was
supposed to promise a return to her life of wealth. What she finds instead will
redefine her definition of being rich.

Excerpt:

“Miss
Emmaline Waterston,” someone called from behind her.

Emma’s
heart lurched in her chest at the deep voice calling her name. Finally. Curbing
her agitation at having been left waiting for so long, she plastered her best
smile on her face, and swallowed the lump of apprehension in her throat. When
she wheeled around, she nearly tripped on a loose wooden board under her feet.

The
smile faded, and her forehead wrinkled when she glimpsed the man walking toward
her. Her eyes darted around to see if it might have been another man calling
out her name, rather than the one heading directly at her.

She
mentally recited the description David Benton had given of himself -
dark-haired, with a moustache, nearly six feet tall, and wealthy. The man in
her direct line of vision did not fit that description, not in the slightest.

He
was dressed in a simple, light-blue cotton shirt tucked haphazardly inside tan
britches that were held up by dark suspenders. The sleeves were rolled up to
his elbows, and his wide shoulders did not escape her notice. Neither did this
man’s dirty blond hair that poked out from beneath a brown cap that reminded
her of the newspaper boys back in Lawrence. The other ends of his britches were
tucked into old, worn boots.

He
stopped just in front of her, and Emma raised her head to look him in the eye.
He languidly peeled the cap from his head, revealing a disheveled mop of hair
that fell forward over his eyes. His lips curved in a slow grin, creating
indents in his cheeks. Emma’s heart fluttered inexplicably in her chest. She
blinked, and shook her head slightly at the reaction. She stared up into
deep-blue eyes that threatened to suck her right up. She’d never seen a man
this handsome before, even if he appeared unkempt.

“Miss
Emmaline Waterston?” he asked again in that rich drawl she’d already heard once
before.

A
slight shiver passed down her spine, and goose bumps formed on her skin,
despite being warm under her cloak.

“Yes,”
she answered, having to clear her throat to say it a second time. “And you
are?”

Surely,
this couldn’t be David Benton. If so, she’d been deceived.

“Sam
Hawley,” he said, holding out his hand.

* * *

Peggy
L Henderson is an award-wining, best-selling western historical and time travel
romance author of the Yellowstone Romance Series, Second Chances Time Travel
Romance Series, Teton Romance Trilogy, and the Blemished Brides Western
Historical Romance Series. When she’s not writing about Yellowstone, the
Tetons, or the old west, she’s out hiking the trails, spending time with her family
and pets, or catching up on

-needed sleep. She is happily married to her
high school sweetheart. Along with her husband and two sons, she makes her home
in Southern California.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

We continue our journey in the American Mail-Order Bride series with Gabrielle - Bride of Vermont, (which releases TODAY) by Emily Claire.

If you are just joining us, you will find the Prequel HERE, providing you with the root of this fabulous series!

Emily shares how Gabrielle's story came to be:

“Friend and USA Today bestselling
author, Kirsten Osbourne, invited me to join the American Mail-Order Brides group.
At the time, my first novella, GUILTY,
had just been published, so it was a great honor to be asked!

I came fairly late to the project
and there were just a couple of states left to choose from by that time. The Green Mountain State, Vermont, is truly
beautiful, so I chose it for my bride, Gabrielle. My heroine is only in Vermont
for a short time, though. There was only
one man who fit her unique criteria and he was southwest of Fort Worth in
Coltonville, Texas.

Gabrielle, a city girl through and
through, embarks on a journey that transforms her from a chaotic city life to
the quiet, gently rolling hills and prairies of Texas. What a stunning
contrast!”

Blurb:

Gabrielle isn’t looking for love, but
circumstances demand she find a husband immediately. Can she agree to marry the
only man who’ll accept her terms, even if it means moving to Texas?

Boone Dillingham believes a wife
will be the solution for his loneliness. Too bad his heart belongs to a woman
other than the one he’s planning to marry!

Boone and Gabrielle are determined
to make their marriage of convenience work, but they’re both toting a little
more luggage than the other one knows about. Could it be that their union is
less about convenience and more about having their hearts renewed?

Excerpt:

Mattie stepped close to Gabrielle. “The situation you
expected when you agreed to come here has changed a bit. Are you still planning
to stay? We can figure some other plan, if you need to.”

Gabrielle didn’t hesitate. “I agreed to marry a
stranger. Accepting his money and coming here was an act of commitment. I won’t
back away from it. He’s a stranger either way. I didn’t know what he was like
before and it didn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter now, I guess. We’re about to
be married, and he’s had an unfortunate accident. If it had happened
twenty-four hours after I’d arrived, I’d be just as committed as I am now. It
doesn’t change anything.”

Just then they heard a commotion from the bedroom.
They hurried to see what was going on. Colby was standing at the foot of the
bed, laughing quietly, amusement written on his face.

“Everything all right in here?” Clyde asked, looking
at Colby and then at Boone.

“Heck, yeah!” Boone said loudly, grinning from ear to
ear. He nodded toward Gabrielle and pointed in her direction.

“Doc Colby just told me that pretty little woman is
going to be my wife. It was worth getting my head busted open for that!”

He smiled broadly at Gabrielle. “Did I already ask you
to marry me?”

Gabrielle stepped closer to Boone’s bed. “Well, you
invited me to move to Texas to become your wife.”

Boone adjusted his bandage, slightly. “And what did
you say?”

“I came to Texas, didn’t I? I believe most folks would
consider that to be a ‘yes,’ don’t you think?” Gabrielle asked.

Boone grinned again. “Whoopee! Sounds like a ‘yes’ to
me. Definitely does. Thank you very much for agreeing to marry me. Let’s have
the wedding right now!”

* * * *

I live
Arlington, Texas, with my husband and four children. Loving them is my
priority. We homeschool two of our children.

Besides writing, I enjoy proofreading for other authors. I also provide
administrative support for a friend's therapy center for children with autism
and other behavioral issues. I have children on the spectrum, so it’s a
privilege to serve others in this area.

After proofreading for friend and USA Today bestselling author Kirsten
Osbourne, she said to me, “You're going to write a book.” It wasn't a question,
it was a statement. “I don't write. I proof,” I countered. She proceeded to
strongly encourage (okay, maybe she gently forced) me to “just do it.” I’m so
glad she did!

Why write? I considered what was important to me. I'm a Christian. I've
struggled. I've been given a lot of grace in my life and have learned a few
things about changing and healing along the way. I wanted to share it. But, I
wasn't interested in writing about myself!

REAL. LIFE.
STORIES. My desire is to share "G" rated (“sweet”) stories about
people facing the ups and downs that life throws at them. I prefer settings
that reflect a simpler pace and lives with less clutter, but the solutions to
life’s puzzles are remarkably the same whether they occurred in the 1700’s or
2015.

I’m honored when I hear from my readers that they’ve laughed, or cried, or
contemplated deeper meanings and have been touched by my words.

NEW RELEASE!

52nd Annual!

Dreams Do Come True

For Nook Readers

About Me

I have been writing most of my life. I write in several sub-genre's of romance as well as a wide variety of freelance markets. Sometimes research crosses both my fiction and non-fiction journeys. I love speaking at conferences, judging writer competitions and mentoring others who share my passion. I live in the beautiful Ozarks with my ever-supportive husband of twenty-seven years and various fur-babies.